Let me just start out by saying that I am by no means from a household where money was ever an issue. I was never the richest of my friends, but cost wasn't something I actively thought about while growing up. My parents got me everything I needed, and most of what I wanted throughout my life. However, when it came to my college education, I was the one who was responsible for funding it.

I was able to use my savings from high school to get me through most of freshman year, but I had to find a job in college. Now while the majority of my friends have jobs, many of them only have them for spending money -- not because they actually need them for educational costs. Unfortunately, for me, I needed a job that would cover both expenses. As a freshman, it was a tough pill to swallow that I couldn't keep the social calendar or maintain the lifestyle I wanted while making the money I needed. However, I became accustomed to several important realities.

Sometimes you have to say "no." I'm not able to go out every weekend or go to every date party I am asked to because I simply can't afford to take the time off of work or don't have the money to do what my friends want to do. I'm lucky that at my weekend job I am almost always able to open and can meet up with friends after work, but some nights it's just not realistic. Weighing the cost benefit of things is something that I have grown accustomed to in the past year and has proven helpful when it comes to making big decisions.

Budgets will become your best friend. Learning how to manage my money is one of the biggest skills that I have learned in college. While it is tough having to pay for everything myself, I have gained incredible amounts of financial awareness and responsibility that will be critical to my life post-grad. Being able to make payments on time and save money long-term for big expenses are things I am proud to be able to do.

You will become thrifty. Need a dress formal? Want to take a trip? You can't always buy a new dress or take a flight. My freshman year, I went to Florida for spring break. I had to fly from Minneapolis to Newark to Orlando on the way there and from Orlando to Houston to Minneapolis coming home, with layovers on both legs of the trip. Why not take a direct flight, you may ask? Because it saved me nearly $400. My mom has always told me that I need to decide what I want to spend: time or money. Unfortunately, as a college student, time is all I have to spend.

Managing your time is critical. I currently have two consistent part-time jobs, and a third one starting as the semester ends, along with a part-time unpaid internship. In addition to this, I work random side jobs throughout the month for extra income. On average, I work nearly 40 hours a week while being a full-time student. Luckily for me, I was able to get a student job at the University at the front desk of the college office, where I am able to do homework for my classes while at work. In order to have free time on weekends to have a social life, I have to work very efficiently during the week to juggle all of my responsibilities and school work. This has been beneficial, because while I do have a lot on my plate at times, I have gained awesome stress management skills and have learned to appreciate free time so much more.

Working in college isn't always fun, and being financially responsible is definitely not easy. However, the independence and sense of pride you have from earning everything you have is indescribable. Knowing I will be ready for life post-grad is a great feeling and I am proud to have worked hard and gained lifelong skills.